Governments have a right to advocate a particular point of view in a referendum, Fine Gael's environment spokesman, Mr Alan Dukes, said as he expressed "serious reservations" about the Government's approach to dealing with referendums.
His party was opposing the Referendum Bill which the Minister for the Environment, Mr Demp- sey, said would "put in place a mechanism to provide information to the electorate in a way that is fair to all interests concerned".
The Bill provides for the establishment of a Commission to prepare and publish information on a referendum issue and "to foster and promote public debate in a manner that is fair to all interests concerned at a referendum".
Mr Dempsey said he had to proceed now with the Bill because of the short time available before the Amsterdam Treaty referendum. He said the Commission would be independent in the performance of its functions and would regulate its own proceedings.
The Bill follows the Supreme Court decision in the case brought by the Green MEP, Ms Patricia McKenna, about the funding of referendum campaigns.
Mr Dukes described as "utterly absurd", arguments raised in the Supreme Court that "that the advocacy by any government of this State of a point of view in a referendum campaign is in any way oppressive or unfair". He regretted that the court had accepted these "specious" arguments.
He said it was a proper part of the function of a duly-appointed government to "act and negotiate on behalf of the people and, where an issue has to be put to the people in a referendum, to give the people its views on the issues before them".